Water and economic productivity using different planting and irrigation methods under dry and wet seasons for wheat

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the water and economic productivity of wheat using different planting and irrigation methods under dry and wet seasons. They were carried out in randomized blocks according to the split-plot design with three replications for two growing seasons. The main plots were P1: Conventional flat planting (CFP), P2: Raised-bed planting (RBP); sub-plots were; I0: Rainfed conditions (RFC), I1: Surface irrigation (SI); basin irrigation (BI) and/or furrow irrigation (FI) and I2: drip irrigation (DI). The highest grain yield (4.61 t ha−1) was in the CFP and BI. Irrigation water productivity (IWP) in the CFP and RBP were 1.31 and 1.60 kg m−3, respectively. DI resulted in 1.82 kg m−3 compared to the SI (1.09 kg m−3). The highest net income, 828 $ ha−1, was in the CFP and BI and the second (749 $ ha−1) was in the RBP and FI. Water economic productivity (WEP) was 0.171 $ m−3 in the CFP compared to 0.151 $ m−3 in the RBP. The SI resulted in more WEP (0.164 $ m−3) than DI (0.159 $ m−3). Thus DI and RBP were not feasible in the study region. All data evaluated were much higher in the wet season.

Keywords

• conventional flat planting
• drip irrigation
• durum wheat
• raised-bed planting
• surface irrigation